To make a long story short: even though "the dress" I loved was under budget, I wanted to see if I could find something even cheaper elsewhere, but in a short amount of time, so I didn't lose the floor model I wanted. In the end, I went to David's before I in fact bought the dress I wanted at the boutique.
First, looked online to find dresses similar to "the dress". I then called the designers/manuf., got the names of the stores in the tri-state area that sold them, called them, and no luck---no one had any floor samples. Next!
Two co-workers, and prior to the dress shopping, 3 friends recommended I try
David's Bridal. Anytime someone said this, I would shudder, recalling the many online rants and reviews brides on wedding forums left about David's atrocious service, rude staff, and cheaply made merchandise. There were tears, missing purchase orders and dresses, and letters to corporate. I ultimately refused to go there.
However, after talking to my co-workers, one of whom I've known for a few years, and finding more positive reviews online, I decided to have a change of heart and be open-minded. Before going, I just had to remember a few things that other brides have suggested:
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DO NOT go on a weekend. End of story. Saturday afternoons are HELL. This is when you will find the horrible service.
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DO visit on a weeknight or weekday. I went to the Glen Burnie, MD location on a Thursday night---it was empty. Only a few girls in there. So calm and no one attacked me when I came in. I was able to breeze through on my own.
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DO consider it a "discount" store when dealing with quality. It is HIT OR MISS. You will find crap (I did), and you will find some diamonds in the rough (I saw as well).
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DO NOT get your alterations there. Girls were overall complaining about their bad alterations. Overpriced and poor quality.
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DO NOT sign up at the desk when you walk in. Make an excuse, ignore them, whatever. They will sell your name. When I walked in, I stealthy dodged the registration table and hid among the dresses. No one even saw me, or cared. If you go in as a woman on a mission, they'll get the hint you don't want to be bothered.
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DO check out their cute selection of flower girl dresses.
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DO NOT bother with their shoes and bags---you can find these elsewhere for much less and for better quality.
If you are in the MD area...
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DO visit the
Glen Burnie location, as brides have said the selection and service is better than other DB stores.
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DO ask for Robert or Lisa at the Glen Burnie store, if you want help. Apparently, they are quite popular among brides that have visited or bought from that DB.
In the end, I did not find anything at DB, as they did not have the
style I was looking for. It seemed that they had mostly the same type of dress, but different cuts, designs (beading, etc.), and textures. In fact, it took me 15 minutes to find this out. However, I am really glad I went to experience it for myself, and saw that it did not have flaming pools of lava and staff with horns and pitchforks.
This experience has helped me keep an open mind during the planning process, which I think is really important when you are a bride, or planning a wedding. It helps you relax, find new ideas, or in many cases, save money!
So, I recommend you visit David's, but at your own risk. Follow the advice listed above, and just CHECK IT OUT. It never hurts. There are many women who have found their dress there for hundreds less than boutique/designer dresses. You never know....
